An international conference on cities and climate change science will be held in 2018 to further develop the scientific understanding of climate change and cities, in support of the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the New Urban Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Cities interested in hosting it are invited to apply by January.
November 10, 2016 – As the role of cities and human settlements in the Paris Agreement is discussed today at COP22, the next moment to highlight the relationship between cities and climate change has been announced: an international conference on cities and climate change science in early 2018.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) decided to during its last session in Bangkok in October, on the same day that the New Urban Agenda was adopted in Quito. Supported by a diverse group of urban and scientific organizations identified as #CitiesIPCC – C40, Cities Alliance, ICLEI, Future Earth, SDSN, UCLG, UN-Habitat, UN Environment and WCRP – it will aim to advance scientific investigation on climate change and cities, to help member states, mayors and citizens to deliver on the ambition of the Paris Agreement, the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
“We are entering a new era for cities,” said Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of the IPCC Working Group II. “Cities are the real opportunity to bend the curve — whether it’s on ambitious adaptation or mitigation action, they are the location where the action materializes, where the decisions on resource flows are made. In the next 20 to 50 years, all big developmental decisions will be made in cities, so we need the global scientific debate to reflect more deeply on the finer, more nuanced scale of cities. The 2018 conference on climate change science and cities will be an exciting process of policy, science and practice evolving together.”
The 2018 Cities and Climate Change Science Conference will bring together representatives from academia, research organisations and agencies; concerned member states of the United Nations; city and regional governments; and urban and climate change practitioners, to identify existing research and gaps, and generate new data and research on climate impacts and solutions at the local level. Its outcomes will inform the upcoming IPCC reports and ultimately support cities and citizens to build low-carbon, climate-resilient and sustainable cities.
Hosting this milestone conference will be a huge opportunity to increase local awareness on the climate challenges cities face, and improve prospects of support for climate action. It will also provide the host city a place to showcase important research and new solutions aimed at improving the environment and the health and well-being of urban citizens.
#CitiesIPCC call all cities recognized for their climate leadership to submit their proposals to host the Conference by January 15, 2017, and strongly encourage applications from the Global South.
Download the request for proposals here.
Applications to host the 2018 Cities and Climate Change Science Conference must be sent to: citiesipcc@c40.org